Two Former Leaders of the United Auto Workers Sentenced to Prison for Extorting General Motors

U.S. Attorney’s Office
December 19, 2011

Eastern District of Michigan(313) 226-9100

Donny Douglas, 70, of Holly, Michigan, a former United Auto Workers (“UAW”) International Servicing Representative, and Jay Campbell, 70, of Davisburg, Michigan, a former UAW Local 594 Chairman, were both sentenced today to terms of imprisonment United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced. Douglas was sentenced to 18 months in prison, and Campbell was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison based on their June 2006 convictions following a jury trial.

McQuade was joined in the announcement by James Vandenberg, the Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor, Office of Investigations–Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations and FBI Special Agent in Charge Andrew Arena.

Douglas and Campbell stand convicted of conspiring to commit extortion and conspiring to violate the Labor-Management Relations Act. The jury found that Douglas and Campbell had conspired to commit extortion by threatening to extend the 1997 strike at the Pontiac Truck Plant by UAW Local 594 unless General Motors hired two unqualified, non-UAW members who were family members or friends of the defendants as skilled tradesmen. Based on the demands of the defendants and in order to avoid continued significant losses from the strike, General Motors hired Campbell’s son and a former UAW Local 594 President’s son-in-law as journeymen even though neither man was a member of the UAW, worked for General Motors, or was qualified for the position.

Previously, in May 2007, the district court had sentenced Douglas and Campbell to terms of probation. These sentences were overturned on appeal before the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Today, the district court conducted another sentencing hearing based on the decision of the Sixth Circuit.

The case was investigated by agents of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General–Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David A. Gardey and Kathleen Moro Nesi.